Failing to clear Colleville actually

I had fun at London ASL yesterday, in spite of us getting a late start because the door into Starbucks had a broken lock. So we stood around outside for an hour chatting about ASL while we waited for the locksmith to turn up. I played starter kit scenario S5 "Clearing Colleville" with newbie Iain, so I was actually teaching this scarily complex game to someone. Great scenario, very tense finish, with time very short for my American attackers, and Iain put up an effective defence.

I feel a bit torn about ASL - it's a terrific fun game, and it's great to have a little ASL community on the doorstep. But there are so many other great wargames out there that I also want to explore. But having opponents available makes a huge difference. It's nowhere near so much fun wargaming solo or online.

Dammit! I missed Jorge Cham of PhD comics fame giving a lecture at UCL yesterday. I knew it was happening soon, but I suppose I kept procrastinating about finding the details.....

Good times

It's been a fun weekend. Sue and I went up to visit her parents in Lancaster. At 12:30 on Wednesday we boarded the train in grimy Euston. By 4:15 we were up on the fells in glorious late afternoon sunshine. Another two great days tramping the Howgills followed.

And as a bonus the Cardiff branch of Sue's family arrived on Saturday, including my step-nephew Tom who is 11 years old and mad keen to boardgame. So we played Eco-Fluxx and Pillars of the Earth until late on Saturday evening, then got up early to continue with Settlers before I disappeared back to London after lunch. I lost everything, but who cares? And Sue even prompted me to download the 2-player rules for Settlers as she'd like to play again soon!

Another bonus - I'm heading off tonight to play Chicago Express with some Mennonite friends.

Conundrum

Well, I collected my first installment from the recent BGG maths trade - Stalingrad Pocket (1st ed, The Gamers), and an unwanted sweetener - Drive on Stalingrad (Decision Games). The latter is a simple, rather ugly, rather old-fashioned two-mapper. I'm wondering whether to pass it on to my 11-year-old step-nephew, a keen boardgamer, in a cynical attempt to snag him into the world of hex-and-counter wargames. Crack in the playground sort of idea. But to be honest it doesn't look like a top-flight game, and I don't want to turn him off wargaming before he starts, so maybe I should shelve the idea (and push DoS out on eBay or the next maths trade) until I can get him something really high quality.

Like Stalingrad Pocket for example.

Blatant attempt to drum up business.

I'm selling Battlelore. 9 hours to go and only £14.50.

Summer challenge

Anyone for a readers' game of Amun-Re? I'm feeling lucky - prove me wrong!
Game is called "King Scorpion" (look here), password "nimrods".

You're one of Us now

My younger son Phil is 25 years old now. He has been initiated into many kinds of wargame: Axis & Allies, Up Front, Paths of Glory, Space Hulk......

But only last Sunday did he experience a classic hex-and-counter operational wargame of the Grand Tradition for the first time, with zones of control, terrain effect chart, combat resolution table, and all.

Clash of Giants II. 1st Ypres scenario.

Classic indeed. We had a great time. This is a beautiful game, full of tension, decision-angst, and historical interest. Didn't finish, but I recorded the positions and we plan to finish the encounter ASAP.

They've redesigned the wargame!

I played Iain at Napoleon's Triumph last Sunday. Poor Iain wasn't really in the mood for the huge mental gear-shift involved in learning this game. Previous wargaming experience isn't much help, indeed may even be a hindrance.

In fact I destroyed him (his words not mine) after just four turns. As the Allies I managed to succeed with the plan that they failed with historically, smashing the French right wing before they reinforced it.

This is a stunning game, both visually and intellectually. Not yet sure if I *like* it, but I already have a huge respect for it.

"I don't believe it!"

Don't you just hate it when you see an appealing, brand-new shrinkwrapped game that has just arrived in your local game shop, and you pick it up, have a look at it, then decide to go home and sleep on it. You arrive back a few days later, having decided that, yes, this is an essential purchase, and yes, the budget can stand it - only to find that in the meantime some half-wit customer has dropped the game, and it is now far from pristine, barely shrinkwrapped, and with a big ugly dink on one corner of its box.

This happened to me last week - the game: Yanks (ASL module 2); the shop: the Orc's Nest in London.

I think if I were ever to run a games shop I would rapidly become one of those grumpy games shop managers that hates having customers in his shop.

Come to think of it, is there any other kind?

He looks happy, doesn't he

My best friend Simon got married to Fiona yesterday. I've known Simon for 25 years now, and our life experiences have paralleled each other in many ways. Can you guess what I bought them for a wedding present? Yes, that's right - a game! (Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers.)